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To: VidMihi
Only about 5 to 10 percent of Catholic divorces get annulments. What do we do write them off? Many do not apply for annulment because they know they had a valid marriage and to seek an annulment would be a lie and a violation of their consciences. What pastoral procedure would you suggest? Face it -Good marriage sometimes die.

I would submit that a lot of Catholics who get divorced do not consult with a priest ahead of time. If there is simply no other reasonable situation but to pursue a civil divorce, a priest can at least give guidance on whether or not there is a possibility the marriage was not valid from the get-go. Granted, there are annulments that seem cringe-worthy, without knowing all the critical details, but there are likely many marriages that are worthy of annulment that do not receive the designation because people do not want the deep scrutiny required of friends and family, or they simply don't know what qualifies for annulment.

Marriages don't die until a spouse dies. They may become painful, lonely, burdensome, and darn near unbearable, but then, "pick up your cross and follow me..."

That's the whole point of indisollubility. If a marriage never existed in the first place, there's your annulment.

73 posted on 08/05/2009 6:16:09 AM PDT by Rutles4Ever (Ubi Petrus, ibi ecclesia, et ubi ecclesia vita eterna!)
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To: Rutles4Ever
- if the basic requirements of making a free choice to marry with the intent of having children is not met - then an actual marriage never took place.

There is no question of the correctness of your statement above. But to pretend that after 25 to 30 years of a "happy" marriage, if the guy suddenly runs off with his secretary, we discover he never had the intention of having children (despite six kids) - that is quite a stretch - who is kidding whom. The need is for some honesty.

75 posted on 08/05/2009 6:26:46 AM PDT by VidMihi ("In fide, unitas; in dubiis, libertas; in omnibus, caritas.")
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